I think most people don't understand what it means that this is a design patent - it's not the same thing as a "regular" patent (a utility patent). Design patents allow a company to get an exclusive right to the form of a functional object so that a 3rd party can't make a different device with identical appearance (well, not legally at least). Almost every company that puts the time into making a distinctive shape for their devices gets one: Microsoft has one for the Xbox, George Lucas got one for Yoda etc.

Design patents are extremely narrow - you have to do your level best to copy them exactly in order to be found in infringement. Plus, they specifically cannot cover functionality - that has to be covered by a utility patent, if it's going to be protected. This design patent only protects a "portable display device" (that's the wording in the Patent itself), and only one with those specific design elements that are shown in the Patent Figures.

I'd be shocked if Apple hadn't applied for design patents for all of its devices. This really isn't an issue.

Does anyone really believe Apple would go after the Galaxy Note and Jellybean because of legitimate patent infringement, and not because they just want to stifle their competition via litigation?

Anyone who can't admit that Apple is abusing the patent system/courts with all this crap instead of having to actually compete in the marketplace, is just an Apple shill with their head up their ass.

Apple sues Samsung for EVERY popular flagship device and they always dredge up bullshit reasons that everything they can't compete with is somehow a copy. What device could Samsung have copied of Apple's with the Galaxy Note even if they had wanted to? That great 5" iPhone 6 with the stylus? Oh wait, no such thing exists. Doesn't matter- sue anyway.

Jellybean? Well, it exists and only Apple should be able to make a mobile OS. So sue.

I don't know about all the gloom and doom for Apple, but they are definitely cruising for some form of well-deserved corporate bruising.

How dominant are they now, when their competitor has 75% global market share?

Which competitor has 75% of the global market? Is it Samsung? HTC? Motorola?

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Abwx

I saw good resolutions pics of the so called lunar module, heck, that s quite a piece of garbage with badly jointed metalic and litteraly hammered plates, seriously, you think that this piece of metalic junk actualy landed on the moon..??

Couple that with news of Android grabbing 75% (and rising) of the smartphone market and 40% (and rising) of the tablet market, and you can see why Apple's stock hit a 6 month low today. The bullish analysts who were predicting a $1000/share price before the iPhone 5 launch seem a little silly, with new predictions seeing the stock hitting the $425/share range before it stops dropping.

Why is it perceived that Apple eventually being surpassed in profits means instant doom for Apple? Just because Samsung may post better numbers doesn't instantly mean Apple's numbers will be horrible. Going by that logic, all Android OEMs should have perished long time ago when the gap between Android and IOS was much bigger. Growth rate may decline further but that ecosystem is pretty much indestructible. Even if Cook & crew tried to destroy IOS or did absolutely nothing to keep it up to date, it would take them 3-4 years to stop the Apple train. Market share is a concern, Apple will fight the decline any way they can, they know they can't dominate for ever but they really don't need to. I'm not buying any of their products again and there is quite a few things I dislike about them, some of those passionately but I simply don't see any reason why they will stop making money.

Couple that with news of Android grabbing 75% (and rising) of the smartphone market and 40% (and rising) of the tablet market, and you can see why Apple's stock hit a 6 month low today. The bullish analysts who were predicting a $1000/share price before the iPhone 5 launch seem a little silly, with new predictions seeing the stock hitting the $425/share range before it stops dropping.

Apple stock was inflated to begin with, if you are so sure about this prediction you would be shorting the shit out of Apple stock right now.

What is Google's market share of the worldwide smartphone market? Low single digits I would guess.

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Abwx

I saw good resolutions pics of the so called lunar module, heck, that s quite a piece of garbage with badly jointed metalic and litteraly hammered plates, seriously, you think that this piece of metalic junk actualy landed on the moon..??

I think there's a difference between Android and Google Android. I think most of the Android phones sold in China don't use Google's services so it's difficult to determine how you'd count them.

Aside from that, I think what Phynaz was attempting to get it as that comparing Android to Apple is a flawed analogy. You can compare Android to iOS, but when looking at Apple the company, it doesn't make much sense to compare them against anything other than another company.

I think there's a difference between Android and Google Android. I think most of the Android phones sold in China don't use Google's services so it's difficult to determine how you'd count them.

What's with all this twisting into pretzels rather than just admit the 75% figure was most-likely referring to Android marketshare? Google, along with every other company, has made huge pushes into the Chinese market which is poised to be among the most profitable in the world for obvious reasons of its sheer size potential. What sort of insanity says they "can't count that"?

Quote:

side from that, I think what Phynaz was attempting to get it as that comparing Android to Apple is a flawed analogy. You can compare Android to iOS, but when looking at Apple the company, it doesn't make much sense to compare them against anything other than another company.

Sorry, but none of this makes any sense. He asked what was Google's marketshare of the world smartphone market. ONCE AGAIN: OS-wise, 75%

So is Apple seeking to sue over Jelly Bean the candy, or Jelly Bean the Google company's product, or is everyone "not counting that" for the sheer what-the-hell of it?

Does anyone really believe Apple would go after the Galaxy Note and Jellybean because of legitimate patent infringement, and not because they just want to stifle their competition via litigation?

Anyone who can't admit that Apple is abusing the patent system/courts with all this crap instead of having to actually compete in the marketplace, is just an Apple shill with their head up their ass.

Apple sues Samsung for EVERY popular flagship device and they always dredge up bullshit reasons that everything they can't compete with is somehow a copy. What device could Samsung have copied of Apple's with the Galaxy Note even if they had wanted to? That great 5" iPhone 6 with the stylus? Oh wait, no such thing exists. Doesn't matter- sue anyway.

Jellybean? Well, it exists and only Apple should be able to make a mobile OS. So sue.

I don't know about all the gloom and doom for Apple, but they are definitely cruising for some form of well-deserved corporate bruising.

This, 100%.

__________________Religion was invented when the first con man met the first fool -Mark Twain

If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in 5 years there'd be a shortage of sand -Milton Friedman

Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity. -Robert J. Hanlon

Therefore saying Apples' competitor has 75% market share is false. I was just pointing out Batty's logical error.

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Abwx

I saw good resolutions pics of the so called lunar module, heck, that s quite a piece of garbage with badly jointed metalic and litteraly hammered plates, seriously, you think that this piece of metalic junk actualy landed on the moon..??

Does anyone really believe Apple would go after the Galaxy Note and Jellybean because of legitimate patent infringement, and not because they just want to stifle their competition via litigation?

Anyone who can't admit that Apple is abusing the patent system/courts with all this crap instead of having to actually compete in the marketplace, is just an Apple shill with their head up their ass.

Apple sues Samsung for EVERY popular flagship device and they always dredge up bullshit reasons that everything they can't compete with is somehow a copy. What device could Samsung have copied of Apple's with the Galaxy Note even if they had wanted to? That great 5" iPhone 6 with the stylus? Oh wait, no such thing exists. Doesn't matter- sue anyway.

Jellybean? Well, it exists and only Apple should be able to make a mobile OS. So sue.

I don't know about all the gloom and doom for Apple, but they are definitely cruising for some form of well-deserved corporate bruising.

This. If you think Apple is legitimately suing in this case, you're just a pathetic fanboy. This is indefensible.

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Quote:

Originally posted by: binister
i find preslove guilty of being awesome

You might want to double check that. Apple has been awarded such patent.

There is nothing wrong with Apple suing, the real problem is the cult behind Apple that cheers for this kind of behavior.

I get it. That MBP or Iphone is sexy and others envy such high end fashionable gadget, but that doesn't mean Apple is the second coming and one must hop the fruit wagon and discredit everyone else.

Fact is, Apple is not that innovative. Never have, and likely never will.

Well yes, this just hit the news November 7. I posted on November 6. Furthermore, people have been screaming rounded rectangles for ages and it's not something that just started yesterday. Prior to the recent news, there wasn't a patent on rounded rectangles, and people just kept distorting it that Apple was patenting shapes and square and rectangles and crap.

It's like watching the 2012 campaigns when the candidates just kept repeating the same things over and over and over again despite being factchecked. THAT was what I was getting at.

Still, the new patent isn't an award on rounded rectangles. It's a portable media device that has rounded rectangles. Apple haters keep pointing out that rounded rectangles are owned by Apple (prior to this patent being awarded) as if they have a patent on the SHAPE itself, meaning ANYTHING that doesn't have sharp edges is in trouble. Yeah keep distorting.

... Still, the new patent isn't an award on rounded rectangles. It's a portable media device that has rounded rectangles. Apple haters keep pointing out that rounded rectangles are owned by Apple (prior to this patent being awarded) as if they have a patent on the SHAPE itself, meaning ANYTHING that doesn't have sharp edges is in trouble. Yeah keep distorting.

Oh, okay then that's totally reasonable, and there was me thinking Apple were going for way too broad patents. This is obviously narrow and highly technical.

/sarcasm

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So where the hell was Biggles when you needed him last Saturday?

Still, the new patent isn't an award on rounded rectangles. It's a portable media device that has rounded rectangles.

LOL! Yeah, everyone was infinitely worried that Apple would go after everything that's a rounded rectangle OTHER than "portable media devices".

*forehead slap* Ohhh... it's just portable media devices with round corners? Oh, okay, that's just fine! *whew* now we can all rest easy that they won't be suing over washer and dryer units and automobile rearview mirrors and all the random stuff people were REALLY concerned about Apple suing over. *eyeroll*

Really, is it THAT difficult for you to just admit: "I like a lot of the products that Apple makes, but yes, their patent/legal shenanigans are going way too far"?